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When I run I sometimes get pain in my left shoulder close to the base of my neck. It’s always the same pain, only the intensity varies. It started happening once I broke the 10-mile mark in my training. Any thoughts?

Sounds like it could be fatigue of the primary respiratory muscle – the diaphragm. As the diaphragm fatigues there is increased reliance on the accessory respiratory muscles – namely the scalenes, sternocleidomastoid, and upper trapezius – to elevate the rib cage and draw air into the lungs. Overuse of these muscles can lead to pain.


This problem should resolve with better conditioning. Focus on deep, diaphragmatic breathing while you’re running and breathe through your nose as much as possible.

If the problem persists, you may want to look into soft-tissue therapy. Trigger points can often develop in these muscles with overuse.

While there’s no substitute for a pair of expert hands, there are ways for you to work on yourself.
The Trigger Point Therapy Workbookis an excellent resource for the self-treatment of trigger points in the neck and almost every other region of the body. I can’t recommend it highly enough